Kathmandu to LondonSK1070An Overland Bus Journey with Pennworld in 1977

The bus trip of a lifetime!
A group of intrepid travellers from Australia, Canada, England, Holland, New Zealand and the US assembled in Kathmandu, the capital of the Himalayan Kindom of Nepal in February 1977.
Ahead for the group of 40, plus driver and tour leader was the longest bus trip in the world, 3 months from Kathmandu to London with basic accomodation of 2 man tents and cheap hotels.
Would it live up to information in the Pennworld brochure?

Pennworld Brochure 1977
Nomad Arabian - 72 days from $470Ref: SK (dotted route on map)Countries explored: Belgium, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Irak, Persia (Iran), Afganistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal.Route and activities:Travelling by coach quickly through Europe, we pause for a day's swimming in the little Greek bay of Kavala. From Istanbul we slow down to explore the coast and beaches around Kusadasi, Antalya and Anlanya. Then cross into Syria to visit the great Krak des Chevaliers castle, Queen Zenobia's desert capital of Palmyra, and Damascus, the world's oldest town. In Jordan we head for the lost city of Petra, carved from red sandstone, one of the world's greatest archaelogical wonders. You can swim, scuba-dive, search for coral, in the Red Sea at Aqaba. Following the pipeline across the Great Syria Desert brings us to Baghdad of the 1001 Nights.Visit Babylon. Then over the border into Persia and Kermanshah, the carpet centre. We'll probably travel via Old Susa and the Ziggurat of Tochoga Zambil to Shiraz, Persepolis and Isfahan. Then heading north via Teheran, we cross the Elburz mountains within sight of Demavand peak (19,000 feet) to the holy city of Meshed. In Afganistan, Kandahar and Kabul will be our chief destinations. After our stay in Kashmir, we plan to take extra time in India to see the fabulous pnk city of Jaipur, en route to Kathmandu. In Nepal, we plan to camp in Chitwan National Park and make an elephant-back safari, spotting a wide range of wildlife, including rhino in particular. Flexibility and a keen eye on costs will be the keynote of our Nomad journey.Age: Mainly 18 - 38.Crew: Two, including tour leader.Kitty:Allow between $3 and $5 a day to cover the costs of food, camp sites and accomodation which is not included. The journey is based on a mix of official and natural camp sites, with 'pension' or inexpensive hotels. Camping equipment is provided. Also allow a reasonable amount to cover sightseeing, entrance fees and guides (about $40 total).Included: The land price includes overland travel by coach fitted with supplementary electro-magnetic brakes for mountain roads, heaters, and cassette-player. Ferries.Westbound Kathmandu to London
Ref: SK1070
Depart Sydney - Feb 24
Depart Kathmandu - Mar 1
Arrive London - May 11
Land Price Only - $596
Land/Air Sydney or Melbourne Kathmandu London - $1198

Note: We travelled west, from Kathmandu to London

Published Book, Kathmandu to London by Bus
If you are ever searching through older book stores or a good library keep and eye out for the book:

Title:"India and the subcontinent: Overland Odyssey"Author: Thomas E KINGPublisher: Michael E Booth, Suite 1, 23 Koornang Rd., Carnegie, Victoria, AustraliaPublished: 1978ISBN: 0 9595959 0 2Note: This book is a summary of the trip made by Thomas King and his wife who travelled on a Capricorn bus trip from Kathmandu to London at the same time as our Pennworld trip in 1977. It has a wonderful array of photographs that will be very familiar to any traveller of this route.

The SK1070 group photograph at the Taj Mahal, 7th April, 1977

Kathmandu to London, Overland with Pennworld, 1977Click image to enlarge

5th March, 1977 - left Benares at 6:00am for Kajuraho, temples, left at 10:00pm for overnight drive to Agra trying to avoid Holi Festival activities, but met road blocks and suffered 2 broken windows in the bus from stones.

6th March, 1977 - arrived Agra at 8:30am, camped in grounds of Lauries Hotel. Full moon, so visited the Taj Mahal by taxi.

7th March, 1977 - whole group took the bus to the Taj Mahal, group photograph, on to Agra Fort, left for Jaipur around luchtime, pitched tents at the Khetri House hotel, Jaipur.

16th March, 1977 - took a shikara to the Mogul Gardens across the Dal Lake.

17th March, 1977 - left Srinigar at 7:30am for return trip to Jammu, stayed again at the "Picnic" Hotel.

18th March, 1977 - Pakistan - left Jammu at 7:00am and crossed the border west of Amritsar into Pakistan (2 hrs), drove onto Lahore, pitched tents in the grounds of the "International" Hotel.

19th March, 1977 - wandered around the old city of Lahore, victed the Delhi Gate.

20th March, 1977 - left Lahore at 8:00am, lunch near Rawalpindi, crossed the indus River, on to Peshawar, stopped at the "Park" Hotel.

21st March, 1977 - Afganistan - left Peshawar after breakfast for the Khyber Pass & Afganistan, crossed the border into Afganistan at the top of the Khyber Pass and on to Kabul via the Kabul Gorge. Stpped at the "Gulzar" Hotel in Kabul which used to be the Japanese Embassy.

7th April, 1977 - left camp by 7:30am, bridge washed out, had to be towed out of the river by 2 tractors, food in the boot was ruined, but clothes safely on bus, arrived at Ahvaz, travelled a further 150km, rough camped by the road.

8th April, 1977 - Iraq - crossed the border from Iran to Irag, lots of nomads on the move, arrived at Tourist Camp, Baghdad, two other bus groups already setup.

9th April, 1977 - drove to Babylon, visited the ruined city, cooking for the group tonight in Baghdad, played 500 till late.

10th April, 1977 - cooked breakfast for the group, shopped for food, are at a restaurant in Baghdad tonight.

11th April, 1977 - drove west from Baghdad, crossed into no-man's land and camped in the desert, on cooking again.

19th April, 1977 - left Damascus for a desert drive to Palmyra, Roman ruins, Arab castle, camped in the grounds of a hotel.

20th April, 1977 - Lebanon - drove from Palmyra back to Homs, then onto Lebanon, duty free shopping, back into Syria to a Crusader Castle "Crak des Chevaliers" for lunch, onto the coast where we camped at Latakia in a tourist camp on the beach.

28th April, 1977 - visited Troy with its view overlooking the Dardenelles, drove on to Chanakkle on the Dardenelles, left Asia via a ferry to the Gallipoli peninsula, drove south to Cape Helles with its large British War Memorial, camped the night on the coast of the Dardenelles, terrible facilities.

29th April, 1977 - drove to Anzac Cove & Lone Pine Cemetery, lots of poppies, only a few days after Anzac Day, camped tonight just south of Instanbul.

30th April, 1977 - train into Istanbul, spent lots of time in the Bazaar, ate at a restaurant under the bridge over the Golden Horn, train back to camp.

1st May, 1977 - train into Istanbul, visited the Blue Mosque & Mosque of St. Sophia, lunch at the "Pudding Shop", back to camp for dinner, publicity photo shoot for next year's Penn Overland Brochure, campfire on the beach south of Istanbul.

10th May, 1977 - Holland & Belgium - hot showers, long drive from Germany into Holland and then Belgium, camped at Bruges, final dinner of the trip witj many presentations.

11th May, 1977 - England - packed the tents for the last time, left Bruges, Belgium on the ferry to Dover, arrived London, end of the trip for most at at Mayfair Place, stayed in a hotel in Sussex Gardens for the night.